Don't stay anywhere near the stadium. I would suggest staying in Ft. Lauderdale. Some hotels offer a shuttle to the game.

 

You don't want to stay anywhere near hard rock stadium. Stay in ft Lauderdale, close to the beach/Las olas area

 

Sounds like he's already planning on staying at South Beach. If that's the case then it would be easiest to Uber to and from the games. American Airlines Arena is just at the other end of McArthur Causeway from South Beach.

 

I'll jump in as I'm curious, if one’s main purpose is coming to see a game, why not stay near the stadium?

Poor quality?
Too much traffic?
Too expensive?
Too far from other things?

...?

 

If the plan is to stay in a hotel within walking distance of the stadium then it's a bad plan. The stadium is surrounded by residential developments. There are some high priced hotels which offer shuttle service but, after the game you're stuck in the middle of the burbs with not much going on.
On the other hand, if the plan is to take a small vacation, for a week or so and, take in a couple of games then the best course would be to find a vacation rental on Tripadvisor, airbnb or Craigslist on or near the beach near South Beach or one of the small micro cities that line the oceanfront to the north all the way to Fort Lauderdale. Traffic in South Florida is not for the faint of heart if you're planning on renting a car. There is a decent mass transit system with Tri-Rail and Metro Rail and buses but they can be confusing for first timers.
Uber would be my choice for door to door transportation.

 

I agree completely- get a hotel/condo near one of the beaches and take Uber to get around. Lots of traffic if you don't know where you're going, plus lots of bad areas to avoid. There's not really anything to do around the stadium...some restaurants but that's about it in walking distance. You'd be much better off in Ft. Lauderdale beach area, Hollywood, South Beach, etc. Those places have shopping, nightlife, etc. and you get a lot more of the S. Florida culture.

With that said, I haven't been down in probably a decade, so I can't give an exact referral. Most of the beaches have hotels at all price points though, from the hole in the wall establishments just across A1A to 5-star luxury resorts. The Ft. Lauderdale airport is more convenient than Miami International as well.

 

The stadium is in Miami gardens, which is a high crime area

 

You can get an Uber from anywhere, so that's not a problem. There are many options to get you to the game and back from anywhere in Dade/Broward county, so don't worry about staying close to the stadium.

I would personally look at "Hollywood Beach" or "Ft. Lauderdale Beach" to start...it's hard to give a specific recommendation without knowing your price range. The Hard Rock Casino in Hollwood wouldn't be bad either- it's central to a lot and not terribly far from the stadium.

 

My recommendation is to go to tripadvisor.com and do your research. You need to decide the length of your visit. If you're planning on staying a week or more then you can find a better price deal in the "vacation rental" category. There are maps that show the location of the rental and you can compare prices. If you want something somewhat convenient to a basketball game AND a football game then, as Keyfin suggested, you have to decide your budget. South Beach is convenient to basketball but, is expensive. Hollywood Beach or Dania Beach is more convenient to Hard Rock Stadium and the night life of Fort Lauderdale. There are literally thousands of hotels and private apartment rentals to choose from.

 

Stay near the stadium if you like but it's not a good area. Definitely don't go out for a walk

 

This is an older thread on the same question. I have never been to Miami so I can't say whether these hotels and recommendations are still valid but it could be a good place to start:

https://thephins.com/threads/need-help-for-hotel-etc.89105/

Also, this was another similar question:
https://thephins.com/threads/getting-to-hard-rock-oakland-game.93512/

@Section126 @Ohio Fanatic @Stitches @Unlucky 13 @Oghma - Maybe have insight to share, if they have time?

 

I've only been to Miami twice myself, and once was as a teen. My other trip was back in 2007, so I'm sure things could have changed a lot since then, but I stayed at the Don Shula hotel in Miami Lakes, and it was terrific. I rented a car, and had no issues driving to the stadium.

 

Unfortunately most games in Miami that I have gone to, I think I stayed elsewhere and drove in.

The exception is when I stayed at Holiday Inn Express (Miami-Hialeah/Miami Lakes):
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/hialeah/miaml/hoteldetail

It's a Holiday Inn Express, so if you're familiar with them, it meets those standards. It's still 20 mins from the stadium.

I've also stayed at the DoubleTree (Miami Airport & Convention Center), and it was quite nice, but I didn't stay there for the game. I imagine it's not close to the Stadium, but it has shuttle service to/from the airport at least.

 

Obviously, everybody wants to go to the Hard Rock Hotel.

But check out the places in Miami Lakes. It's nearby, and it's very close to great bars, restaurants.
https://www.marriott.com/search/fin...agLG_9eY45jeaOwhm0oaAlRqEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Yes, there are many shuttles and they are safe to take. Leaving the stadium is always heavy traffic and the shuttles get caught in that as well, so I don't think it's something you should worry about. Like others have said, you can stay anywhere in North Miami, Hollywood, Ft. Lauderdale, Plantation, Weston, South Beach, Pembroke Pines, Dania, etc.